Renovating for the future

It's no secret that the hôtellerie industry is far from green. Forgetting the manner in which you travel to your intended destination, where you stay also has a big impact on your carbon, water, and waste footprints. The relative luxury of many hotels, from swimming pools to landscaped gardens, water consumption for example is considerably higher. Despite this, the tourism sector is particularly sensitive to changes in trends and desires of the client - as such, the sector is changing rapidly with the shift in preferences towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly ideals.

One way in which hotels can boost their green credentials is through thoughtful and effective building renovations. Whether it is the transformation of an old classic heritage building, or the ongoing improvements necessary in such a competitive industry: these renovations can bring added value, save costs, and help subscribe to being more environmentally friendly.

It's interesting, how two of the most used substances in the world are so often overlooked. After water, concrete is the second most consumed material on earth. If it were a country, it would be third after the US and China in carbon dioxide emissions. Concrete does have it's advantages, and is certainly a very effective construction material, but if we are to try and turn the industry from grey to green, the hôtellerie sector must aim to limit the number of new builds. Reduce the number which require extensive use of concrete, and instead renovate buildings which are suitable to do so, and ensure the inclusion of greener, more sustainable, materials.

Renovation is also often the most beautiful option. Modernist new builds have their place, but often you can't beat the heritage, grandeur, and nostalgia that renovations can bring. One such example is by the Dussol brothers. We've written about their work before, but this time they are taking a historic, colonial-era hotel, and retaining the façade and redesigning the inside to form a new boutique experience in the historic centre of Rio de Janeiro. It's sure to be something special, and a new breakthrough in how renovations can be at the forefront of the hôtellerie industry.